Mechanical and electrical coupling



Nov. 5, 1940. H. BRIGHT 2,220,810

MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL COUPLING med Jan. 11, 1957 s sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 5, 1940. BRlGH-r 2,220,810

MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL COUPLING Filed Jan. l1, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 impi" Nom-5, 1940. H. BRIGHT MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL COUPLING Filed Jan. l1, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 21.

Fig- 23.

Fig. 22.

Patented Nov. 5, 1'940 mmcn'm ELEo'rmoAL ooUrmNG Harold Bright, London, England Application January 11, 1937, Serial No. 120,096

In Great Britain January 11, 1936 6 Claims. (Cl- 173-328) This invention relates to Yimprovements in or modiiications of the couplings described and claimed in the specification of the copending application Serial No. 33,174, led July 25, 1935.

which matured to Patent 2,149,550 issued March The aforesaid copending application discloses a coupling foi,l electrical or mechanical purposes comprising a v'socket containing a member adapt- 10 ed to press resiliently upon a nat side of atongue to be inserted in 'the socket. and tol urge the tongue to take up a position with said'iiat side in a predetermined plane, and a stop projecting from one edge of said iiat side adapted to lock l5 said tongue Within said socket while the tongue is in the position referred to. The stop is disengaged by turning said tongue out of its normal position, against the action of said resiliently acting member. Y

It will be understood that the stop projecting from one edge of the iiat side ofthe tongue adapted to lock the latter within the socket may be constituted either by a projection on the tongue or by the walls of a recess or notch formed in the said tongue.

In the form of construction of coupling shown in the aforesaid specification, the stops provided on the tongue are formed on the leading end -thereof, and are adapted to engage behind the inner end or ends of one. or more inwardly directed leaf members. resiliently urged against the tongue.

In one aspect of the present invention the aforesaid arrangement is modiiied by locating the stop or stops near the trailing end of the tongue, and the socket is provided with an outer end wall having a restricted aperture through whichv the tongue can pass, the resilient means provided in the socket turning the tongue after 4 the stops thereon have passed through the restricted aperture so as to bring said stops into engagement with the inside of the end wall of the socket adjacent the edges of said` aperture.

In order to accommodate the turning movement of the iiat leading end of the tongue, the trailing end of the tongue may be formed with notches or recesses which the edges of the elongated slot may enter when the tongue turns inso to its normal position, so that the tongue is locked thereby against movement in the outward direction or in the inward and outward directions. Alternatively the trailing end of the tongue may be set obliquely to the leading end lso that it rests in the obliquely set elongated slot said elongated member has near its trailing end when the leading end of the tongue has turned into its normal resting position.

An advantage of this construction lies in the fact that the stop or stops on the tongue engage a rigid portion of the socket member so thatv an. 5. outward pull is taken up by a rigid member instead of by the resilient member or members, for

example-leaf springswhich lock the couplings when the stopsare located atthe leading end 'of .Y the tongue. "1

In the form of socket according vto this fea.`. lture of the invention, electrical connection may 1 more easily be made -tothe resilient members".V

which contact with the tongue; This is due to the fact that the inner ends ofthe leaf springs 15' constituting the resilient meansin theewsocket. need not be left free, :because the tongue does not pass beyond lthe -inner ends'thereof as it does in the former types oi-coupling, andr'accordingly, the end of one of the'leaf members may- 20 be extended inwardly, or bent'backand aten minal provided on the extended onbent-back end.

In another aspect the present invention consists in a coupling comprising a socket having 25 an end wall provided with a restricted aperture and containing resilient means, and an elongated member having a flattened surface adapted to bev inserted through said restricted aperture linto said socket so that its nattened surface is en- 39 I gaged by the resilient means which urge the elongated ,member to take up a position with the attened surface in a predetermined plane. The

steps with which the wens of the restricted aper'- 35 ture are adapted to engage to preventwithdraw-l al of the elongated member when its-flattened". surface lies in said predetermined plane. said elongated member is withdrawn froin'sai socket by twisting it slightly againstthe action 4o l of the resilient means to clear the walls. ofthe restricted aperture from said stops. 1 g,

In another aspect of the presentfinvention there is provided a multi-pole electric couplingcomprising a socket ycontaining-1a'g-'pl 'ura.lity of '45, 3

contacts insulated froml each other-,andin electric connection with one ofthe ends/ofthe electric line to be connected together, saidcontacts being adapted to .press vresiliently'uponv corresponding insulated flat contactsfin-electric con- '60 nection with the other end of the electricline to be connected and arranged on 'anfelongated member to be inserted in said-socket. The saidl resiliently.- actingcontacts .urge the elongated member@ `take up a predetermined angular po, 55

sition in which a stop or stops formed thereon lock the said member within the socket. The said stop or stops are disengaged by turning the said elongated m'ember out of said predetermined angular position and against the action of theresiliently acting contacts.

Whether the stops are provided at the leading or trailing end of the tongue or elongated member, the flat contacts may be arranged around the periphery of a central stem of insulating material sol as to provide a number of nat faces. Preferably the stops are constituted by projections or by recesses or notches formed in a pair of nat contacts on opposite faces of the elongated member but, if desired, all of the flat con` tacts may be provided with a stop. or the stops may be formed on the insulating stem.

The invention also extends to a two-pole electric coupling in which the socket contains a pair of contacts adapted to press resiliently upon opposite nat sides of a tongue to be inserted between them, the tongue comprising a pair of contaots strips separated by insulating material. 'I'he resiliently acting contacts urge the tongue to take up a position with each ilat side in a predetermined plane, a stop formed on the one edge of one -of the fiat sides or stops formed on the edges of both of the flatsides of the tongue being adapted to lock the latter within the socket while the tongue is in Ithe position referred to. 'Ihe stop or stops are disengaged by turning the tongue out of its normal position and against the action of the resiliently acting contact.

Means may be provided in the half of the coupling comprising the socket for ejecting or facilitating the withdrawal of the tongue. For this purpose, the socket may house a plunger against one end of which the leading end of the tongue or elongated member bears when inserted in the socket, the said tongue or elongated member moving the plunger against the action of a spring. With this arrangement, when the tongue or elongated member is twisted to unlock it from the socket, the plunger tends to eject it from the socket.

In the case of a coupling for electrical purposes, the plunger may be arranged to operate a switch or make-and-break device adapted to place the resilient means in connection with the respective end of the electric line after the tongue has made contact with said resilient means.

In another aspect the present invention consists in an electrical lamp, thermionic valve, or like electric iltting having an elongated member provided with a at contact and with a stop located at its trailing end, said elongated member being adapted to be inserted ina socket having an end wall provided with a restricted aperture and containing a spring contact in such a manner that the fiat contact is engaged by the spring contact and the elongated member urged to take up a position with the liat contact in a predetermined plane. In this position the walls of the restricted rture of the socket are adapted to engage th stop on the elongated member and prevent withdrawal of the latter. 'I'he said elongated member may be withdrawn from the socket when it is twisted slightly against the action of the spring contact to clear the walls of the restricted aperture from the stop.

In still a further aspect of the invention a coupling for electrical or mechanical purposes comprises a socket with an end wall provided'with a restricted aperture and a tongue of spring material adapted to be inserted therein, said tongue having stops at its trailing end, said socket and said tongue cooperating during insertion so that the leading end of the tongue is twisted relatively to the trailing end until the stops have entered the restricted aperture, whereupon the said trailing end turns under the spring -action of the tongue and the stops lock the said tongue within the socket.

The .principle or' the coupling described and' claimed in the copending application Serial No. 33,174 may be applied to an hermaphrodite coupling. To this end the two parts to be connected together each contain socket means and a tongue, or an equal number of socket means and tongues.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a section illustrating one form of coupling, in accordance with the invention the two parts being in the disengaged position.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the form of coupling shown in Figure 1. the parts being in Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in section illusl trating another form of coupling,

Figure 6 is an end view of the part of the coupling shown in Figure 5, provided with the tongue,

Figure 7 is an end view of the socket of the coupling shown in Figure 5. v

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate other forms of coupling in accordance with the invention,

Figure 10 is an end view of the socket of the coupling shown in Figure 9,

Figures 11 and 12 are cross-sections on the lines XI-X'I and IUI-XII respectively of Figure 9,

Figure 13 is a longitudinal section illustrating another form of coupling in accordance with the invention, the parts being in the disengaged position,

Figure 14 is a sectional elevation of the form of coupling shown in Figure 13, the parts being in the engaged position,

Figure l5 is an end view of the socket of the coupling shown in Figures 13 and 14,

Figure 16 is an end view of the other half of the said coupling.

Figure 17 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section of another form of socket for a coupling in accordance with the invention before insertion of the tongue and,

Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 17 showing the position of the tongue in the socket,

Figures 19 and 20 are respectively a section and an end view of a further form of coupling,

Figures 21 and 22 are respectively a section and an end view of a further form of coupling, the lower half of Fig. 21 being taken on the line A-A of Fig. 22, and

Figure 23 is an end view of a coupling differing slightly from that of Figure 22.

Referring to the form of the invention shown parts after insertion of theaecomo central opening receive one end ot an electric lead 5, the said end being one o! the two ends of the electric line to be connected together.'l

Within the cylinder i la mounted a terminal mem-- ber 6 having a viiange 1 clamped betweentheshoulder 3 and the plug 4, the lead B being.con-

l nected to therear end of the said terminal mem'- y back upon themselves.

socket is provided with a slot Il set obliquely vto ber. At its other end the said terminal member carries a resilient contact comprising 'a 'fiat metal the substantially parallel planes in which the flat inturned ends 9 and i0 oi the contact strip vBile, as shown in Figure 3. The internal face of the end wall 2 is provided with a metallic lining l lz having a slot which registers with the alotv il.

' The outer face of the end vwall is provided with an annular recess to receive packing material i3.' Thev other part of thecoupling comprises a hollow cylindrical member il of insulating mapa'rt, ofitsglength to receive a plug II having a "central `'aperture to receivethe end-ltyof thev l-positioned. recess or ot projection irq; corresponding =wlth*;'th e anhu lfar \packingIsonjtheend'wall 2. 1

'- lie and the consequent angularD of. the endV w' jl'ljis is provleed-"wlth: an

Slot. l l sothaeilc leadlngendls inserted between the planes'fin "which the `endsioltythe'" Ytongue 2l fwhenflnaertedgftheflhnha or heco' me to coupling are-in h z3, whereupon tongue' ahliihegwitharawnffrom `the socket; Z e,

lint 'end -25 is twistedoutof--the plane-otthere* and the part- 2050i the tongue tn passthr iShown-in-Fiarel having a hollow "stem lvextendingfrom its end armingv one.; en d "'oLthefelectric linev enter the socket, EIfljle'iforward--fend of the socket houses @pail-,cf dat spring contacts-55 and iii mounted @by` means .otf terminal -boltsf 51, andy 58 on the partitioniil' transverse tothe axis; The ends of the saicfl contact strips Siand i6 are turned 1 -,inwardsandbackwards," 'I'h'e'other part of the coupling comprises "a hollow; cylindrical member fdivldedf-bya transversepartition 60 into the l-rfort'vardholloylvf portion 6i anda rearward hollow f-' port ionyz.jrhe wane: the-latter rportion is "7s table diataiice alims.l itt lenath iti mainder 20 oi' the tongue so as to lohnshortlyf ders 21 In this construction a' slot '204s formed @inthe end wall .l'f'tl'le socket,4 thesaid slot 5 `similar to but somewhat broaderthan the alot In other respects the socketiresefblesth 1 to 3 and operate' s in lai" mannen .Iiigui'e 8 illustrates the present invention applied to 'a two-pole electric coupling. A .ln this .form o f the invention the tonguecompriseatwol strips o fbrassor like'metal I0' and 3|' separated 15 by a layer oi insulating material v32. The said i strips Stand 32. are secured to*thecylindrical,

.member i4 by terminals 33, u. which vextend e through lateral extensionsl 35,3I- atlth'e rear ends ofthe said'. strips 3i and 32. The resilient .meansinlthe socket in this form of the invenv v tion comprises two iiat contact vs'trips'vl'l'andjl Y terial having an end wall IB formed with a slot a v 16;". The interior ofthe hollow cylindrical member is screwfthreaded throughout the greater achseparately connected to a disc member 40, Iifthe saiddisc member being clamped he# end 42-bein`g-connected to the terminals, 34'v and thoseofthe end 43 being connected to the:

f terminals 40,". v f Flgnrelil illustrates the application of the in' 1 "vention to a;"fourepolegelectriccoupling;l In thisv construction the socket is provided withi'our-fa prirlg contact strips I'each separately mounted naninsulating' disc member 39, :by terminal bolts I5, 'the arrangement being similar to-fthe mounting ofthespringcontact strips described withr'eference "toFigure 8; `The end wall 2`of" the socket is tormed 'with a square opening 4 8' the sides Vof the square lying obliqu'ely -t'o VV the fplanes infwhich the correspondingiiatlcontacts "I 'hetwoparts ofthe coupling ar'e'connected-- togetherby.insertingthe tonguel 2 Il through the l lie. The 'other partofthefcoupling comprises a cylindrical member "kof insulatingV material wallaroundthe periphery o! whichv stem yfour 'hat contacta u are', arranged. The 'nf'allhig end within .the :cylin form of' coupling ted on .the leading ketcompr'i'sesa hol-` havineapartlhon sa. n dof the socketiis-internally screwpeningfgfthrough-'- which the "two conductors '1o -fs Vcable 1e connected. The length er the plunger screw-threaded internally to receive a plug hav- 'ing a central opening through which the two conductors of the other' end of the electric line are'ledto the coupling. The wall of the for- `-ward portion 8| is adapted to telescope within the cylindrical member 82 as shown in Figure 14. 'I'he hollow portion 8| is divided longitudinally by a partition 82a on opposite sides Aof which flat contact strips 88, 84 are arranged, lthe said contact strips being connected by terminals 8l to the transverse partition 88. 'I'he ends of the two conductors of the electric line to be consimilar projection 81 is provided on the oppodte nected are connected to the said terminals. At the leading end and at one edge of the contact strip 88 a projection 88 is provided whilst a edge of the contact strip 84 as shown in Figure 16.

The parts of the coupling are connected together by inserting the leading end of the member 88 into thesocket member 82 so that the partition 82a carrying the contact strips 88, 84 passes between the spring contacts 485 and 88. Due to location of the projections 88 and 81 on opposite edges of the contact strips 88, 84 the spring contacts 88, 86 are forced slightly apart -and the strips lie at a slight angle thereto until the said projections have cleared the inner ends of said contacts. The spring contacts thenV act on opposite edges of the said contact strips 88, 64 and rotate them into parallel relation with the contacts, the whole member 88 being also v rotated, and thereby locked within the member 52. In order to disconnect the parts it is merely necessary to rotate the member 89 relatively to 18 and 14 are the conductors of a twin cable. The

plunger 12 can'ies at its rear end a fiat contact 15 to which the conductor 18 is connected. The other end of the plunger is provided with a head 18 and a spring 1 1 is arranged between the said head and the support 1|, which spring tends to maintain the plunger in its forward position as shown in Figure 17. 18, 18 are the spring contact strips of the coupling. The spring contact strip 11 is secured to the support 1| by one end of a -terminal bolt 88 to the other end of which one end of a. bent contact strip 8| is awo attached. The other end of the contact strip 8| bears against the side of the plunger 12 near itsv rear end. In the forward position of the plunger shown in Figure 17 the contact 1l is out of engagement with the contact strip 8|, the two contacts being brought into engagement when the plunger is moved into its real-most position shown in Figure 18. The spring contact 18 is secured to the support 1| by means of a terminal bolt 88 to which the other conductor 14 of the twin '12 and the position of its contact 18 are selected so that when the tongue or other elongated member on the male part of the coupling has been fully inserted into the socket the .plunger is moved toits rearmost position so that the spring contact 18 is placed in electric connection with the conductor 18 through the nat. contact 1l,

the bent contact 8| and the terminal bolt 88.

The switch mechanism described above is also applicable to a single-pole coupling. Moreover,

the plunger may be arranged to operate any other suitable type of switch mechanism. For high power circuits, a quick-acting switch mechanism is-preferable for example, switch mechanism having a toggle action.

The spring 11 may be strong enough to eject the tongue after it has been twisted to free it from. the socket, thus eifecting automatically the separation oi' the two halves of the coupling. This feature of spring-ejection may also be 'used when no switch is provided.

'Ihe tongue may be provided with two pairs of stops so that there are two positions of the tongue in which the halves of the coupling are locked together. When used with the switch mechanism hereabove referred to, the arrangement may be such that when the tongue is inserted only so far that the pair of stops nearer to the leading end effect the locking of the parts, the plunger '|2 is not depressed, so that a mechanical but not electrical connection is eifected, and when the tongue is inserted to its fullest extent so that the other pair of stops effect the locking, the plunger is depressed to. establish the electric connection.

Figs. 19 and 20 illustrate a form of the invention in which the twisting action of the tongue to cause the stops to lock the tongue within the socket is eected by the tongue itself instead of by resilient means disposed within the said socket.

Referring to these figures, the socket 82 is formed with ilat internal surfaces 88,-84 and its end wall 88 is provided with a slot 88. The tongue 81 consists of a iiat spring strip which is twisted helically about its longitudinal axis. The trailing end of the tongue is formed with notches 88, 88. When the tongue is inserted in the socket the slot 88 causes it to turn with a corkscrew motion until its leading edges engage the internal surfaces 88, 84. Further movement of the tongue causes it to flatten out against its own spring action until the trailing end carrying the notches .88, 88 has entered the slot 88 whereupon the tion. The end wall 2 of the socket of one part of the coupling is provided with slots |8I, |82, |88, |84 the arrangement thereof being approximately cruciform. Tongues |88, |88 extend through the slots |88, |84 and are secured to the inner side of the end wall 2 by terminal bolts |81 only one of which is shown. Each of the tongues is provided at -its trailing end'on one side with a recess |88 the said recesses facing in opposite directions and the deepest -part of the recesses being at the outer edges of the tongues. Adjacent each of the slots |8I, |82 and on opposite sides thereof is a leaf spring |88 only one of which is shown, the said leaf springs being secured to the end wall 2 by terminal bolts ||8. The four conductors comprising one end of the line to be connected are connected to the terminal bolts of the tongues and leaf springs.

It being understood that the other part of lthe coupling is constructed in exactly the same manner as the part previously described, the two parts are locked together by inserting the tongues |05, |06 ofv one part in the slots |0I, |02 of the other part, the pressure of the leaf springs |09 causing the two parts of the coupling to rotate relatively to one another when the tongues are fully inserted, the edges of the slots IOI, |02 entering the recesses |02. The parts are disengaged by slightly twisting the two parts and then pulling the same apart as in the various forms of the invention previously described.

Instead of providing recesses at the trailing end of the tongues, the latter may be formed witl; lugs or projections at the leading ends adapted to engage behind the ends of the leaf springs when the two parts of the coupling are coupled together.

Figure 23 shows the arrangement of the sockets and tongues when the principle of the hermaphrodite coupling previously described is applied to a six-pole coupling. This principle may also be applied to other forms of coupling, for example, simple mechanical couplings and single or twopole electric couplings.

I claim:

1. A coupling of the class described comprising a socket member, a wall at the entrance of said socket member having a slot, resilient means within said socket member having a fiat surface slightly inclined with respect to said slot, a plug member having a flat tongue adapted to be inserted through said slot, said tongue having a notch at one edge and near its trailing end, whereby after said tongue has been fully inserted through said slot said plug member is twisted about its longitudinalaxis under the action of said resilient means on said tongue so that the edge of said slot enters said notch, and whereby said tongue may be withdrawn by turning it slightly against the action of said resilient means to clear the edge of said slot from said notch.

2. A coupling of the class described comprising a socket member, a wall at the entrance of said socket member having a slot, resilient means within said socket member having a iiat surface slightly inclined with respect to said slot, a plug member having a tongue of fiat material adapted to be inserted through said slot, the leading end of said tongue being set obliquely to the trailing end so that the shoulders formed by the projection of the rear edges of the leading end beyond the surfaces of the trailing end form stops, whereby after said tongue has been fully inserted through said slot said plug member is twisted about its longitudinal axis under the action of said resilient means on said tongue so that the stops engage behind portions of the end wall adjacent the slot and whereby said tongue may be withdrawn after turning it slightly against the action of said resilient means to clear said stops from said end wall.

3. A coupling of the class described comprising a socket member, a resilient detent within said socket member, a plug member having a male member adapted to enter said socket member and rotatable therein about its longitudinal axis, said male member having a flat surface adapted to engage said detent, a stop on said at surface spaced from one vedge thereof, said stop cooperating with said edge to compress the resilient detent whilst the male member is being inserted in said socket member, said resilient detent twisting said male member when the same has been fully inserted to lock said stop behind said resilient detent, a spring-pressed plunger in said socket adapted to be depressed by said tongue when the latter is fully inserted in said socket, whereby the male member may be withdrawn from said socket after twisting it about its longitudinal axis to clear said stop from said detent whereupon said spring-pressed plunger ejects the .tongue from the socket.

4. A coupling of the class described comprising a socket member, guide means located at the entrance of said socket member, resilient means Within said socket member, a plug member having a. male member adapted to enter said socket member through said guide means, said male member having a fiat surface, and a stop on said at surface adjacent the trailing end o f said male member, said stop being spaced from one edge thereof, said guide means being arranged to present said fiat surface to said resilient means at such an angle that one edge of said surface com-v presses said resilient means until said stop has passed through said guide means, whereupon said resilient means rotates said male member and causes said stop to cooperate with said guide means to lock said male member within said socket member, whereby the male member may be withdrawn from said socket member after twisting it against the action of said resilient means to clear said stop from said guide means.

5. An electric coupling comprising a socket member, guide means located at the entrance of said socket member, flat spring contacts within said socket member, a plug member having a male member adapted to enter said socket member through said guide means, said male member including flat contact strips and insulating material separating said contact strips and at least one stop on said male member offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of one of said contact strips and near the trailing end ofsaid male member, said guide means being arranged to present said male member to said fiat spring contacts at such an angle that opposite edges of the at contact strips on said male member compress said at spring contacts until said stop has passed through said guide means, whereupon said fiat spring contacts rotate said male member about its longitudinal axis and cause said stop to cooperate with said guide means to lock said male member within said socket member, whereby the male member may be withdrawn from said socket member after twisting it against the action of said fiat spring contacts to clear said stop from said guide means.

6. An electric coupling comprising a socket member having a pair of spring contacts having inwardly directed ends, and a plug member having a male member carrying fiat contacts insertable endwise into said socket member, so that said flat contacts pass between said spring contacts, said male member having a locking lug projecting transverselyfrom at least one of said iiat contacts, said lug being relatively low as compared with the width of said fiat contact and being spaced a substantial distance from one longitudinal side of said flat contact, whereby a slight turning movement of the male member about its longitudinal axis through an angle substantially less than serves to move said spring contacts apart and thus release said lug.

- HAROLD BRIGHT. 

